As I said last week, I want to see an even better improvement in performance – shorter rest periods, more reps per 5 min, etc..

Get to work.

PHASE 1

Warm-Up

Feel free to mix things up during the warm-up. The goal is to warm up your muscles and to get your joints lubricated. I like the following warm-up exercises, but as long as your muscles are getting pliable and your joints are feeling “loose”….feel free to do your own thing…as long as it gets the job done.

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5 Minutes of the following 4 Mobility Exercises:

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1. Circles – Starting with the ankles and moving all the way up to your neck, gently make circles with all of your joints – 10 revolutions each joint in each direction

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2. Rolling Like A Ball

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3. Shin Box

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4. Lateral Lunges

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5 Minutes of the following Muscle Warm-Up Exercises

I am going to list a bunch of exercises. You choose which ones you want to do….remembering that the goal is to warm up the muscles and make them pliable and ready to handle the following workout

The HIRT Workout

HIRT Superset #1

Perform the “work” part of each exercise as quickly and powerfully as possible

Prior to each “work” set, I want you to either:

Do a 2-5 reps of a light weight, explosive exercise which works the same muscles as the work set (ex. jumping up & down before doing squats), OR

Do a very strong isometric (non moving) version of the work set exercise for 2-3 seconds before performing the work set.(ex. pushing against a wall before a bench press)

This will get your nervous system all charged up and help you perform better on the work set.

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Zercher or Front Squat

10 reps per set @ 20RM weight

Goblet squats and band front squats are great substitutes

For the neural activation warm-up exercise, I would recommend 5 reps of BW Jumping Squats – goal is to explode up quickly & leave the ground

Alternative work exercise – Back Squats.

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1 Leg Deadlift

10 reps per leg per set

For the neural activation warm-up exercise, I would recommend 5 reps of BW Hip Thrusts where you try to explode up quickly so that your feet leave the ground OR a couple of broad jumps across the gym floor (and yes, people will look at you)

Alternative work exercise – none

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HIRT Superset #2

2 exercises per superset

10 minutes per superset

NO REST between sets

Choose a weight that would allow you to perform 20 reps (20RM)

Perform 10 reps per set (unless stated otherwise)

Perform the “work” part of each exercise as quickly and powerfully as possible

Prior to each “work” set, I want you to either:

Do a 2-5 reps of a light weight, explosive exercise which works the same muscles as the work set (ex. jumping up & down before doing squats), OR

Do a very strong isometric (non moving) version of the work set exercise for 2-3 seconds before performing the work set.(ex. pushing against a wall before a bench press)

Hi-Lo Vertical Cable/Band Slam

10 reps per set @ 20RM weight

I need to make a video of this…and I will, but for now, let me describe with the aid of these 2 videos.

Imagine a medicine ball slam

But, instead of using a medicine ball, we used a cable stack (rope handle) or a strength band

The guy in this video is way too spastic for my liking. What I want is a very distinct up and down movement. Nice and powerful like the med ball slam but with the added resistance of the cable stack or the strength bands.

For the neural activation warm-up exercise, I would recommend 5 reps of the same exercise (Slams) with light weight/resistance – the goal is speed.

Alternative work exercise – Standing Straight Arm Pushdowns.

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1 Arm DB Press

10 reps per set @ 20RM weight

For the neural activation warm-up exercise, I would recommend 5 reps of 1 Arm Med Ball Vertical Throws – try and throw the med ball through the ceiling.

Alternative work exercise – Face Pulls.

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HIRT Superset #3

2 exercises per superset

10 minutes per superset

NO REST between sets

Choose a weight that would allow you to perform 20 reps (20RM)

Perform 10 reps per set (unless stated otherwise)

Perform the “work” part of each exercise as quickly and powerfully as possible

Prior to each “work” set, I want you to either:

Do a 2-5 reps of a light weight, explosive exercise which works the same muscles as the work set (ex. jumping up & down before doing squats), OR

Do a very strong isometric (non moving) version of the work set exercise for 2-3 seconds before performing the work set.(ex. pushing against a wall before a bench press)

Swing Snatch

10 reps per set @ 20RM weight

For the neural activation warm-up exercise, I would recommend 5 reps of very light swing snatches where your goal is speed, not strength

Alternative work exercise – none

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Bulgarian Split Squat

10 reps per leg per set @ 20 RM weight

For the neural activation warm-up exercise, I would recommend 5 reps of Shuffle Lunges where you try to explode up quickly so that your feet leave the ground.

Alternative work exercise – none

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HIRT Superset #4

2 exercises per superset

10 minutes per superset

NO REST between sets

Choose a weight that would allow you to perform 20 reps (20RM)

Perform 10 reps per set (unless stated otherwise)

Perform the “work” part of each exercise as quickly and powerfully as possible

Prior to each “work” set, I want you to either:

Do a 2-5 reps of a light weight, explosive exercise which works the same muscles as the work set (ex. jumping up & down before doing squats), OR

Do a very strong isometric (non moving) version of the work set exercise for 2-3 seconds before performing the work set.(ex. pushing against a wall before a bench press)

Standing Cable/Band Row

10 reps per set @ 20RM weight

For the neural activation warm-up exercise, I would recommend 5 reps of light resistance Band Rows (goal is speed) or some Isometric Rowing using an immovable object (like a heavy piece of fitness equipment)

Alternative work exercise – Seated Rows or (shudder) Machine Rows.

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Push-Ups

5-20 reps per set

For the neural activation warm-up exercise, I would recommend 5 reps of Explosive Push-Ups with the goal being to lose contact with the floor/bench/wall

Alternative work exercise – none

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HIRT Superset #5 – optional

Repeat one of the first 4 Supersets – your choice

HIRT Superset #6 – optional

Repeat one of the first 4 Supersets – your choice

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PHASE 3

10 minutes of DIY

If you really want to lose weight, spend 10 minutes doing some HIITsprints on an exercise bike. I would recommend 10 sprints with a 10 sec ON : 50 sec OFF ratio

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In a few months, I fully expect you to:

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